Electrical prospecting



Dec. 19, 1933.. T. ZUSCHLAG 1,940,340

ELECTRICAL PROSPECTING Filed July 22, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR 72 150001? 20:07am;

ATTORNEYS Dec. 19, 1933. T i SCHLA 1,940,340

- ELECTRICAL PROSPECTING Filed July 22, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2- INVENTOR 7715000? 2050/1/16 Patented Dec. 19, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELECTRICAL raosrrc'rme Application July 22, 1930. Serial No. 469,833

12 Claims.

This invention relates to electrical prospecting and has for its object certain improvements in the method of electrical prospecting. The invention relates more particularly to an improved method that may be employed for determining and comparing electric potentials or electro-magnetic field strengths, such as are encountered when investigating artificial electric ground fields set up for the purpose of making geo-physical explorations on the earths surface and the like.

Artificial ground fields may be produced in areas or tracts to be investigated by direct current or alternating current excitation. When direct current is used, the investigation of the ground field need be made only in respect to its potential or field strength. When alternating current is used, on the other hand, an investigation to be complete must in addition include also a determination of the time or phase relation between the exciter field, set up to induce the ground field, and the ground-field itself. This is the reason why methods and apparati heretofore designed for direct current exploration cannot generally be used for alternating current exploration, especially if a neutralizing or compensating principle is involved; which appears highly necessary in order to obtain optimum results. Even with respect to methods and apparati heretofore proposed for direct or alternating ourrent exploration, serious difiiculties exist. that complicate the analysis of the resultant readings. These difiiculties concern the elimination ofresistances that are not necessary for the final I analysis, as for instance ground contact resistances, or internal instrument resistances, the values of which vary for different settings of the apparatus employed.

As a result of my investigations I have determined that these diificulties may be substantially 4o overcome by the use of a novel method of conducting the geophysical exploration. The method permits the determination of potential drop, or electro-magnetic field strength, ratios, and eliminates by the same operation substantially all unnecessary or interfering ground contact, or

internal instrument, resistances.

In general, the method of the present invention is carried out by creating an artificial electric or electro-magnetic ground field in a tract of land and by determiningthe ratio between the electric potentials or the electro-magnetic field strengths created by such ground field at spaced points in. the tract. In accordance with the in vention, this determination of the ratio between the potentials or electro-magnetic field strengths is carried out in such a manner as to eliminate the resistance of ground electrodes, or other pickup means, changes in the strength of the ground field or variations in the resistance of the instruments employed, etc.

The potential or field strength ratios are conveniently determined from the flow of current produced in a conductive net-work including suitable variable resistances and inductances and current responsive means, the potentials or field g5 .field strength ratios are calculated from the data obtained by these two determinations, factors such as ground electrode resistance, receiving go coil impedance, instrument resistance, and ground field variation may be eliminated and an accurate derivation of the desired ratios obtained. Since the ground resistances, receiving coil impedance instrument resistance and 5 ground field strength do not always remain constant at different locations of the pick-up means, the elimination of these factors from the ratio determinations is essential if the results obtained at different settings are to be properly 00- related and relatively analyzed.

The present invention will undoubtedly be better understood if reference is made to the accompanying drawings, taken in conjunction with the following description, in which:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic representation of apparatus adapted for the practice of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic curve indicative of results obtained when investigating an area containing a conductive ore body or the like with apparatus shown in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic curve indicating results obtainable when investigating an area containing two superposed conducting layers.

-"'Referring to Fig. 1, an alternating current source 1 is connected to grounded power or exciter electrodes 2 and 3, which may be separated several hundred or thousand feet. This arrange- 1m of turns of insulated copper wire, which are preferably placed within the influence of only one of the power or exciter electrodes.

The triple-pole double-throw switch further connects a center potential electrode 15, or the common ends of the pick-up coils, to the rotor 16 of the variometer.- The rotor is connected in series with a zero current indicator, galvanometer or telephone 17 and a sliding contact arm 18 operating on resistance 6; either end of which resistance may be connected to the sliding contact arm by means of a single-pole double-throw switch 19.

It will be noted that the net-work employed comprises two parallel circuits a and b, the circuit a including the variable resistance 4; and the circuit b including the variable resistance 5. The current responsive device 1'7 is included in the branch common to the two circuits, and the resistance 6 may be included in either of the circuits, depending upon the position of the i The resistance 6 is essentially an switch 19. auxiliary resistance to increase resistance 4 or 5. During the investigation of a section of the tract, the potential drop between the electrodes 11 and 15 causes the flow of current in the circuit a; and the potential drop between the electrodes 15 and 12 causes the flow of current in the circuit b. By properly adjusting the resistance 6 and the variometer 9, the resistances of the circuits a and b may be so balanced that the same current flows in both of these circuits; in other words, the current has the same strength and the same direction, and no current flows in the common branch in which the instrument 17 is located. When this balanced condition is obtained, the ratio between the values of the resistances 4 and (5 are indicative of the ratio between the ground potentials under investigation, as hereinafter more fullyv explained.

The distances between the electrodes 2 and 11, 11 and 15, 15 and 12, and the distance between the pick-up coils 13 and 14 may be chosen arbitrarily. In the present preferred practice of the invention the-electrodes and the pick-up coils are kept in fixed relation to one another.

In order to make a potential drop ratio determination for the potential drops between electrodes 11 and 15 and between electrodes 15 and 12, which may for convenience be designated as vii-l5 and V15- 12, the potential electrodes '11, 15 and 12 are connected to the compensating network by means of the triple-pole double-throw switch 10, as shown. If the resistances 4 and 5 are set at arbitrary values, a noticeable deviation of the zero indicator 17 is generally produced.

. This deviation may be neutralized by appropri'-' The following equations may be considered as representing voltage conditions when no current flows through the indicator 17; that is when a balanced condition has been obtained:

f= the frequency of the alternating excite! current; 1n=the mutual inductance between the rotor and the stators; j and 1r=two well known mathematlc symbols.

Now, changing the setting of resistance 4 (or 5) and re-establishing neutralization by resetting resistance 5 or 4) and rotor 16 until no current fiows through the indicator 17, without touching any of the other adjustments, we have the following equations for voltage conditions:

(3) Vii-15:2"(Rn-i-Zi-kRH-i-Rs-l-firfflt') (4) Vl512=i'(R'5+Z8+R12-j21rfm') where l =tlie new resultant current;

. Ri and R5=the new values of resistances 4 and 5;

m=the new mutual inductance values for the compensation.

Dividing Equation (1) by Equation (2), the potential electrode contact resistance Ru isrepresented by the following equation:

n-rs 15-12 Experience and theory show that when using suitable variable resistances 4, 5 and 6, the expression 21rj (m-m) is very small compared with the difference R'4-R4 and thediflerence R's-R5 and can be neglected without endangering the reliability of the result.

Therefore, Equation (6) may advantageously be written as follows:

This relation is'extremely simple, and contains 7 only the resistance values essential for the computation of the potential drop ratio.

If for any reason it seems desirable to use the complete Equation (6) for the determination of the potential drop ratio, this can easily be done by anyone skilled in the art after transforming constants of the circuits a and b, the balancing being effected by the use of the resistances only. The type of indicating instrument 1'7 employed will depend upon the ground field current, a galvanometer or ammeter being used with direct.

current ground fields.

The same procedure is used for the determination of electro-magnetic field strength ratios, the compensating net-work then being connected to receiving coils 13 and 14 by suitably moving the which can be numerically determined by Equations (6) or ('7).

The sensitivity of the apparatus may be con- I siderably increased if deemed desirable by em- ,ploying suitable and well known means to amplify the current input to the indicator 17.

In order to carry out geophysical investigations,

the electrode arrangement 2, 11, 15 and 12 may either be moved as a unit over the area to be investigated and readings taken at different points, or the potential electrodes 11, 15 and 12 may be moved independently in any desired direction; the same of course, being true of the pick-up coil arrangement 13 and 14.

Fig. 2 represents schematically the reciprocal ratios l iii-l2) ii-l5 obtainable when moving a fixed electrode-arrangement over an area to be investigated, the different distances between electrodes being arranged in a fixed order; such for example as 1:1:2 along a traverse in the direction of the arrow L20 across a better conductor, for instance an ore vein 21. That is, the distance between electrodes 2 and 11 is equal to the distance between electrodes 11 and 15; and the distance between electrodes 15 and 12 is equal to twice the distance between electrodes 2 and 11, or between 11 and 12. In other words, the distance between electrodes 15 and 12 is equal to the total distance between electrodes 2, 11 and 15. In thismanner, the successive measurements will always be comparable,

because each succeeding determination is madeelectrode distances malhave any convenient fixed order.

Each point on the curve 22 represents a ratio determination with respect to power or exciter electrode 2, as the. exciter and pick-up devices are progressively moved over the tract When the center potential electrode 15 is grounded over the top or tip of the ore body 21, the crest of the curve 22 indicates a ratio determination with reference to power electrode 2. This particular method of plotting need not, or course, be followed. Any of the electrodes may be used as a reference point from which to plot the ratio determinations.

Fig. 3 gives a schematic picture of the reciprocal ratio in-i2) ii-4s change over two horizontal layers 23 and 24 of different resistivity, the lower layer of which is aselectrodes.

sumed to be more conductive than the upper layer. The power leleotrode 2 is kept at a fixed position A, and the three potential electrodes 11, 15 and 12 are spread in a straight line, always keeping the distance ratio 1:1:2 from the power, electrode. For each successive setting and reading, the electrodes are kept in a straight line with the power electrode 2, and the same relative distance relationship is maintained as between the The resulting curve 25 indicates for small distances from the exciter electrode 2 uniform ground, because the potential distribution is only affected by the upper layer 23. Increasing the potential electrode distances, the potential dr op ratio increases too, due to the fact that gradually the lower layer 24 gains a pronounced infiuence upon the potential distribution at the surface. The ratio reaches a peak 26, and then drops gradually to the value for uniform ground,

, indicating that for greater distances-the potential distribution at the surface is now determined by the lower layer alone;

Each point on the curve 25 represents a ratio determination with respect to potential electrode 11, which, together with potentialelectrodes 15 and 12, is progressively moved away from the fixed power electrode 2; the same distance relationship however always being maintained as between all of the electrodes. Any electrode other than 11 may of course'be employed as the reference point from which to determine the potential drop ratios.

The ratio curves of Figs. 2 and 3 represent typical examples of different types of gee-electrical ratio surveys, and indicate the great importance of the ratio compensator principle for the art of geo-electrical exploration.

I claim: 1

1. In a method of electrical prospecting the steps which comprise setting up an electric ground field in a tract to be investigated, producing a current flow in two parallel circuits each of which has at least one variable resistance by the ground field intensities of different portions of said tract, setting the variable resistance of one of said circuits at an arbitrary value, balancing the circuits by suita ly adjusting the variable resistance in the otheE circuit until the same current flows through b th circuits, noting the values of the variable resistances, altering the variable resistance of one of said circuits to another arbitrary value to produce a different current flow by suitably adjusting the variable resistance in the other circuit until the same current fiows through both circuits, and noting of the variable resistances. I

2. In a method of electrical prospecting, the steps which comprise setting up an electric ground field in a tract to be investigated, producing a current flow in two parallel circuits each of which has at least one variable resistance by the ground field intensities of difierent portions the new values of said tract, setting the variable resistance of another arbitrary value to produce a diilferent current flow therethrough, again balancing said two circuits by suitably adjusting the variable resistance in the other circuit until the same current flows through both circuits in the same direction, and noting the new values of the variable resistances,

3. In a method of electrical prospecting, the steps which comprise setting up an electric ground field in a tract to be investigated, producing a current flow in a circuit having at least one variable resistance by the diiference in potential between two spaced points in a tract, producing a current flow in a second circuit having at least one variable resistance and a branch in common with said first circuit by the difference in potential between one of said two points and a third point in said tract, setting the variable resistance of one of said circuits at an arbitrary value, balancing the circuits by suitably adjusting the variable resistance in the other circuit until no current flows through the common branch, noting the values of the variable resistances, altering the variable resistance of one of said circuits to another arbitrary value to produce a difierent current flow therethrough, again balancing said two circuits by suitably adjusting the variable resistance in the other circuit until 'no current flows through the common branch, and noting the new values of the variable resistances.

4. In a method of electrical prospecting, the steps which comprise setting up an electric ground field in a tract to be investigated, producing a current flow in a circuit having at least one variable resistance by the difference in potential between two spaced points in a tract, producing a current flow in a second circuit having at least one variable resistance and a branch in common with said first circuit by the difierence in potential between one of said two points and a. third point in said tract, setting the variable resistance of one of said circuits at an arbitrary value, balancing' the circuits by suitably adjusting the variable resistance in the other circuit until the same current flows through both circuits, noting the values of the variable resistances, altering the variable resistance of one of said circuits to anance in the other circuit until the same current flows through both circuits, and noting the new values of the variable resistances.

5. In a method of electrical prospecting, the steps which comprise setting up an alternating electric ground field in a tract to be investigated, producing an alternating current flow in two parallel circuits each of which has at least one variable resistance by the ground field intensities of diiferent portions of said tract, setting the variable resistance of one of said circuits at an arbitrary value, balancing the circuits by suitably adjusting the variable resistance in the other circuit until the same current flows through both circuits, noting the values of the variable resistances, altering the variable resistance of one of said circuits to another arbitrary value to produce a difterent current flow therethrough, again balancing said two; circuits by suitably adjusting the variable resistance in the other circuit until the same current flows through both circuits, and noting the new values of the variable resistances.

6. In a method oi. electrical prospecting, the steps which comprise setting up an alternating electric ground field in a tract to be investigated, producing an alternating current flow in a circuit having at least one variable resistance by the diiference in potential between two spaced points in the tract, producing an alternating current flow in a second circuit having at least one variable resistance and a. branch in common with said first circuit by the difference in potential between one of said two points and a third point in said tract, setting the variable resistance of one of said circuits at an arbitrary value, balancing the circuits by suitably adjusting the variable resistance in the other circuit until the same current flows through both circuits, noting the values of the variable resistances, altering the variable resistance of one of said circuits to another arbitrary value to produce a different current flow therethrough, again balancing said two circuits ,by suitably adjusting the variable resistance in the other circuit until the same current flows through both circuits, and noting the new values of the variable resistances.

7. In a method of electrical prospecting, the steps which comprise setting up an electric ground field with direct current in a tract to be investigated, producing a direct current flow in two parallel circuits each of which has at least one variable resistance by the ground field intensities of diiierent portions of said tract, setting the variableresistance of one of said circuits at an arbitrary value, balancing the circuits by suitably adjusting the variable resistance in the other circuit until the same current flows through both circuits, noting the values of the variable resistances, altering the variable resistance of one of said circuits to another arbitrary value to produce a different current flow therethrough, again balancing said two circuits by suitably adjusting the variable resistance in the other circuit until the same current flows through both circuits, and noting the new values of the variable resistances.

8. In a method of electrical prospecting, the steps which comprise setting up an electric ground field with direct current in a tract to be investigated, producing a direct current flow in a circuit having at least one variable resistance by the difference in potential between two spaced points in the tract, producing a direct current flow in a second circuit having at least one variable resistance and a branch in common with said first circuit by the difference in potential between one of said two points and a third point in said tract, setting the variable resistance of one of said circuits'at an arbitrary value, balancing the circuits by suitably adjusting the variable resistance in the other circuit until the same current flows through both circuits, noting the values of the variable resistances, altering the variable resistance of one of said circuits to another arbitrary value to produce a different current flow therethrough, again balancing said two circuits by suitably adjusting the variable resistance in the other circuit until the same current flows through both circuits, and noting the new values of the variable resistances.

9. In a method of electrical prospecting the steps which comprise setting up an electric ground field in a tract to be investigated, producing a current flow in a circuit having at least one variable resistance by the diflerence in potential between two spaced potential electrodes grounded in the tract, producinga current flow in a second circuit having at least one variable resistance and a branch in common with said first circuit by the difference in potentiaL between one of said two electrodes and a third potential electrode grounded in said tract, setting the variable resistance of one of said circuits at an arbitrary value, balancing the circuits by suitably adjusting the variable resistance in the other circuit until the same ourrent flows through both circuits, noting the values of the variable resistances, altering the variable resistance of one of said circuits to another arbitrary value to produce a different current flow therethrough, again balancing said two circuits by suitably adjusting the variable resistance in the other circuit until the same current flows through both circuits, and noting the new values of the variable resistances.

10. In a method of electrical prospecting, the steps which comprise setting up an electric ground field in a tract to be investigated by a source of current connected to two spaced and grounded power electrodes, producing a current flow in a circuit having at least one variable resistance by the difference in potential between two grounded potential electrodes spaced from one of said power electrodes in the tract, producing a current flow in a second circuit having at least'one variable resistance and a branch in common with said first circuit by the difference in potential between one of said two potential electrodes and a third potential electrode in said tract, setting the variable resistance of one of said circuits at an arbitrary value, balancing the circuits by suitably adjusting the variable resistance in the other circuit until the same current flows through both circuits, noting the values of the variable resistances, altering the variable resistanceof one of said circuits to another arbitrary value to produce a different current flow therethrough, again balvariable resistance in the other circuit until the same current flows through both circuits, and noting the new values of the variable resistances.

11. A method of electrical prospecting according to claim 10, in which the potential electrodes are progressively moved from one portion of the tract to another and the steps of altering resistances and balancing circuits are repeated.

12. In a method of electrical prospecting, the steps which comprise setting up an electric ground field with direct current in a tract to be investigated, producing a current flow in a circuit having at least one variable resistance by an induction or receiving coil, producing a current flow in a second circuit having at least one variable resistance and a branch in common with said first circuit by a second induction or receiving coil,' setting the variable resistance of one of said circuits, and noting the new values of the variable resistances.

THEODOR ZUSCHLAG.

ancing said two circuits by suitably adjusting the 

